P90X-related stories
P90X: What Is It?
P90X is a set of DVDs which include 12 different workouts that focus on a specific muscle group or set of exercises. In addition to workouts, the P90X comes with a three-phase nutrition plan. Phase 1 is the Fat Shredder, a high-protein diet; phase 2 is the Energy Booster, a mix of carbohydrates and proteins with a lower amount of fat; and Phase 3 is the Endurance Maximizer, a diet of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and lower fat, which includes more carbohydrates than the previous phases. There is also a "How to Bring It" DVD that provides a quick overview of P90X, a calendar to track your progress, online peer support and more.
Want to learn more? Discover why Sheryl Crow Loves P90X and read That's Fit Blogger Karla Carrington's review of P90X.
P90X & the Guy
The Good, The Fat and The Hungry, Fitness
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| Karla Carrington Photo: Kim Keaton |
First, the good. I am entering phase two, week four of P90X and in a word, I'm not ready for it. These first three weeks have punished me physically in ways I didn't know were possible. But I like it. Stuff is hurting that I didn't know could hurt. And I like that, too. When I was obese, stuff hurt even worse. And I hated it. Whatever aches I experience with P90X can be stretched away. Morbid obesity pain required pills.
Look, I'm no pitch man and I get no kickbacks from these folks. I say this of my own free will, P90X has changed my life. I feel stronger, I look fitter and I have more stamina. I am running longer and feeling less winded. In a nutshell, pound the gavel, the decree has been made: Tony Horton's baby daddyship privileges are hereby restored.
P90X Style - Crow Anyone?
The Good, The Fat and The Hungry, Fitness
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| Photo: Patricia Greene-Maher |
The day after we mailed our donation, it became habit to immediately run to Mom after school to see if it had arrived. What were just a few weeks (I'm sure) seemed like years, but the day finally came. We went to rush Mom when she said those three magic words -- you've got mail! Willette and I went to retrieve the package only to find that only an envelope waited. Thinking that this was a security measure in advance of the crown's arrival due to its worth, we opened the envelope only to find a shower cap with Rev. Ike's hand print atop instead of our wonderful bejeweled crown. The state of North Carolina had never seen two sisters any more disappointed than we were. No gold, no jewels, not even a crown at all. It was, in fact, an old school gheri curl cap. Rev. Ike and God had done us wrong.
From that day forward, I have hated most televangelists (not God though, we cool), infomercials and anyone making promises from the TV screen. I just don't trust it and thought people who did were pure suckers. This includes my elderly Dad who later in life needed infomercial rehab. He would order any and everything off TV. This guy ordered the bible in Braille, and he wasn't even blind! One more reason to hate infomercials.
Weight Watchers Week 4 - A Work in Progress
The Good, The Fat and The Hungry, Diet & Weight Loss
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| Photo: float, sxc.hu |
Here's what's going on in my real world: Four weeks into Weight Watchers, and I've attended three out of four meetings, still eating right up to the points limit and borrowing as needed from other days. I journal on occasion and have gained as much as I've lost. I was down 2.2 pounds and back up 1.1 pounds.
No doubt, I am only enjoying half of the benefits of the program because I'm only halfway trying. I can't lie ya'll, I like to eat. And for as many posts that I write with tricks, tips, pointers and expert advice, I don't always do the things that I should. I can hear experts, trainers and nutritionists in my head saying, "Karla, you don't have to deprive yourself, you can enjoy -- in moderation." A single Nutter Butter cookie never brought me no joy. I need at least two to crack a smile and at least three to show some teeth -- four and I'm bordering on elation. Some days, I just can't talk myself down. I try to gauge when I'm weakest and when I'm strongest, but then I get nervous because I can't identify and well, I need a snack to think it over.
I'm only human. I make no excuses, and I take full responsibility for all the wrong I've eaten. On a much lighter note, my exercise routine has not waned. I've continued faithfully with my trainer and am working hard. I've graduated to male push ups and various other exercises that months ago were only a dream. All of this is in preparation for the big day, August 1st.
Tony (Horton) Hears a Who
The Good, The Fat and The Hungry, Fitness, Motivation
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| Photo: Getty Images I AOL |
One day Andre' mentioned Tony Horton's P90X DVD fitness series. He said he'd been using it and then pulled up his shirt to show off his results. I visually saw the difference between cut and ripped. After wiping the drool from my lip, I said, "wow!" He gave me his version of Tony Horton's muscle confusion concept and how the program had worked for him. I listened intently and decided to find out more.
The following day, I was fortunate enough to catch the infomercial. I saw Tony Horton talking about P90X, and I immediately thought, "That's my baby daddy right there." Oh, but that's probably not the thought you guys care about. My second and more weighty thought was, "Dang, could I do this? Could I have six packs that I don't drink? Could I take my fitness level to the extreme?" Listening to the conviction in Tony's voice about the program made a hint of belief creep in.
See the photo to the right? That's me! Well, I mean, that's my head. I have no idea whose abs those are, but thanks to PhotoShop and my girl Waj, I could be looking at the future me. According to Tony Horton, I can have those abs, and he's much too hot to ever lie.
Sheryl Crow Loves P90X
Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Sheryl Crow spent a few minutes talking to Giuliana Rancic on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards yesterday, and rather than just asking her what she was wearing (or her favorite karaoke song, which, with most celebs, Giuliana went ahead and sang with them), Giuliana quizzed her on her workout habits.Sheryl told her that she used to be a big runner, but now that she has a little one (her son, Wyatt, is not quite two years old), she just can't find the time. Instead, she's raving about the P90X workout system.
Hottest Celebs Over 40
By AOL Health Editors
Courteney Cox Arquette
Our favorite 'Friend' and soulless tabloid journalist has only gotten better looking with age. Cox Arquette's secret weapon for those cut arms and toned legs? Tennis and Budokon, an intense workout integrating yoga, martial arts and meditation. Cox Arquette has also been said to use the Blood Type Diet.
Starface, Retna
Kim Cattrall
Our pick for sexiest of the 'Sex and the City' pack is also the oldest. And at 51, we think Kim Cattrall looks even more fabulous now than she did when the show first debuted. Cattrall has said that exercise is crucial for her and that without it she feels sluggish. When she can't make it to the gym for a 30-minute workout, she likes to walk.
MAP/Splash News
Daniel Craig
How does hottie Daniel Craig get Bond buff? It's no surprise that there's a lot of weight lifting in his fitness routine. Craig has said that a routine centered around weights was the only way to bulk up in the short time he had to prepare for 'Casino Royale.' But for his next Bond venture, the 40-year-old stunning star is mixing up his heavy lifting routine with boxing and running.
Splash News
Madonna
Madonna may be single-handedly responsible for helping yoga and Pilates go mainstream. With her enviable arms and taut abs, her body is a walking advertisement for the two fitness disciplines which she has long practiced. Her high water intake (3 liters a day) and strict diet that bans processed foods, alcohol, caffeine and dairy also helps keep the 49-year-old slim. But we're sure the two-hour sessions of dancing and hitting the Hybrid Body Reformer (a pulley-system machine) that she does six times a week don't hurt.
Dave Hogan, Getty Images
Jamie Foxx
The Jamie Foxx workout doesn't involve exclusive gyms or personal trainers. He keeps it simple. Every morning he does four sets of pushups, situps and crunches. But not all at once, mind you. He breaks up the workout with chores. A set of pushups. Brush teeth. One set of ab exercises. Take a shower. And so on. That way, he doesn't have to make time for exercise, it just part of his morning routine.
Chris Gordon, WireImage.com
Elizabeth Hurley
As mothers around the globe know, kids will keep you young. Sexy Elizabeth Hurley, 42, credits her 6-year-old son, Damian for helping her keep fit and trim. "I don't do a lot of exercise," she says." As for her glamour, these days she says she doesn't mind a little airbrushing. Launching her new Elizabeth Hurley Beach line earlier this year, the model-actress-businesswoman said: "I like a certain amount of retouching, like anybody."
ZUMA Press
Jamie Lee Curtis
This soon-to-be 50-year-old is known for doing some pretty racy things with her body including showing off her lovely gray locks and bare top on this year's May/June issue of 'AARP The Magazine' (don't worry, it's PG) and gracing a 2002 cover of 'More' Magazine without any photo touchups. Curtis is adamant, however, that whatever goes into her body be healthy. This former alcohol addict gained weight after sobering up, but has since shed the pounds through cutting out foods that are high in sugar and white flour like crackers, breads and cereals, reports 'People.'
Vince Bucci, Getty Images
Chris Noth
We hear this sexy 53-year-old doesn't eat carbs after 5 pm, avoids pasta and drinking, and has given up beer altogether. He's a bit of a fitness buff too. To get back in shape for his role as Mr. Big on 'Sex and the City' movie, Noth told 'People' he needed to head to the gym. He reportedly enjoys running, playing basketball and lifting weights at the gym.
Israel Hadari, ZUMA Press
Andie MacDowell
This actress makes 50 look glamorous. She hasn't tapped into some secret fountain of youth -- that we know of. Instead, she fills her life with spirituality and peaceful activities like yoga, as well as healthy organic eating, according to an interview on 'Gaiam Life.' "Yoga has made a big change in my life. It can change your body -- make your tummy strong and all your muscles toned. But it has also helped me with old injuries and pains." An unlimited supply of L'Oreal products probably hasn't hurt either.
Jamie McCarthy, WireImage.com
Sheryl Crow
This Grammy winner is nearly as famous for her albums as she is for her show-stopping body. At 46, Sheryl Crow has made many personal triumphs -- beating breast cancer, adopting a child -- and has shown the world what resilience looks like. Crow has said that exercising and eating a healthy diet are just as important to feeling good as are meditation and relaxation.
Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage.com
Poppy Montgomery Drops 70 Pounds, Says Goodbye to Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Poppy is still pretty happy. She's got a beautiful baby boy and almost one year after delivering her bundle of joy, she is looking amazingly trim and toned. So trim and toned, in fact, that she is baring her bikini body in People magazine's November 24 issue (page 88, if you're dying to check her out).
Poppy's secret: Recognizing she couldn't keep overindulging and signing up for the meal-delivery service Sunfare just three weeks after giving birth. Restricting her calories to 1,200 a day and working out with the P90X program (our readers say this workout system really works and from the looks of Poppy, I think they're right on), Poppy earned herself wiggle room in her pre-baby size 27 jeans. Now, this is one hot celebrity momma.
That's Fit Readers Give P90X Workout A+
The Makeover Momma crew gives the P90X workout system a C-. It's just too time consuming, they report. I mean, gosh, you've got to commit to an hour a day for 90 days, there are 12 workouts, designed to transform your body from regular to ripped, a three-phase nutrition plan, a fitness guide, a calendar to track your progress, and more. That's a lot to keep up with. But not for our readers, who think it deserves a better grade.
Everyone agrees that a good chunk of time is necessary to complete this workout, but apparently, it's worth it. Heather, a busy mom of two who works full time, finds time for the program by getting up early and working out. It gives her the energy she needs to get through the day. "P90X is a killer program, love every part of it, and love the fact that it's not just the same old easy to do monotomous stuff," she says. Her grade: A+++++++++. By the way, says Heather: "I still have time to cook and clean. If you want to be in shape bad enough, you'll find the time."
Another mom reader says she definitely loves the P90X. As a mom of two who works full time, she makes time for an hour workout at least four times a week. She's done the program from start to finish with awesome results. Just like any program, she says, unless you're willing to take the time to do it, it's not going to work.
P90X - Do You Have Time for This Workout?
The crew over at Makeover Momma is on my same wavelength. This perfect plan just isn't perfect for busy moms and others whose schedules are tight and hectic. The workout requires a 60-minute commitment for those 90 days and while Horton's inspiring infomercials will surely convince you this is the plan of all plans, if you haven't the hours to spend sweating your butt off, you're better off opting for another similar version of exercise. Makeover Momma suggests renting a variety of DVDs from Netflix or borrowing some from your local library. Rotate over the course of 90 days, give it your all on days when laundry and dirty diapers don't have you buried, and shoot for 30 minutes if you can. Now that sounds more doable.
Tell us: Have you tried the P90X system? If so, what grade do you give it? Makeover Momma gives it a C-.
